Hellfire

Day thirteen

It was always hot in Hell. Connor hated it. It seemed like even when he was asleep, he couldn't escape the horrible heat of Uganda. At least the air was thinner at the moment.

He got out of bed with a sigh, expecting whatever there was to come. Then he remembered; Kevin Price didn't matter to him anymore, so why should he have helldreams?

With this knowledge in mind, he hummed happily and continued the dream in peace. There were few people to be found; no demons, no skeletons, no spirits and best of all, no Kevin.

He stepped outside and sighed happily, embracing the Ugandan scenery as opposed to the normal red rocks.

Then, Connor head a gunshot, followed by screaming. Kevin was running towards Connor, shouting something at him. Connor frowned and stepped out of his way, but Kevin tried to drag him back, his eyes wide with fear.

"Okay Kevin leave me alone," Connor said nonchalantly. "Not tonight, please, I thought it had stopped."

Kevin looked confused for a moment and then his face paled, staring at something behind Connor.

Connor turned and saw the shiny barrel of a gun pointing at him. He rolled his eyes and pushed the tip away. "Stop it." He said. "I said no more!"

Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Kevin being dragged away. And the gun aimed at him instead.

"Okay..." Connor was starting to panic a bit. "This isn't supposed to be happening... I thought I let this all go..."

He heard a click and the gun was loaded. Kevin whimpered and bowed his head.

"Connor..." Kevin sobbed.

Connor looked to Kevin, wide eyed. "Why did I let it go?" He asked. "H-how..." He gritted his teeth and ran to help Kevin with a yell.

A gunshot went off and The ringing echoed in Connor's ears as he fell. Pain exploded in his chest like a bolt of lightning. This was a new level of pain, different from the previous. He clutched at his chest and doubled over in pain. Kevin ran over, screaming. Connor couldn't hear what he was saying.

Kevin pulled Connor into his arms and brushed Connor's hair out of his face. "No, no, no..." He whispered. "No this can't be happening." A tear dripped off the end of his nose and landed on Connor's cheek.

This all felt too real. Why were these dreams so real?

"Kev..." Connor whispered, his voice rattling in his throat. "It's okay...." He reached up, wincing to cup Kevin's cheek. "It's just a dream, dreams can't hurt us in real life. This is just punishment..."

Kevin looked at Connor with wide eyes. "Connor..." He said quietly, trying not to burst into tears. "...this is not a dream."

"That's what you always say..." Connor continued, feeling s numbness at the end of his legs rising through his body.

"It's fine, I'll wake up and go about my normal day any time soon... I can't love you in real life though... Which is really sad."

Kevin looked around and shouted to anyone nearby for a doctor, but no was was there and Connor was losing a lot of blood.

"Connor this is real, you're not dreaming." He said, on the verge of tears.

"Please... Stop trying to convince me." Connor sighed.

"I'm not trying!" Kevin cried out. "It's real and you're gonna die, and I never got to tell you that I love you too!" He couldn't finish and buried his head in Connor's neck.

"You what?" Connor asked, dumbfounded.

"I love you..." Kevin cried into Connor's neck.

Kevin was never allowed to say that in dreams. He was always killed or beaten or taken away. A wave of pain surged through Connor's chest and he cried out as he was hit with the morbid truth.

This was real.

Connor's grip on Kevin tightened and his eyes widened. His vision was going red and darker.

"Kevin... This is real." He stammered and coughed. He felt something dribble down his chin, something red.

He was going to die.

"I'm so sorry..." He started to cry. "But Kevin Price... I love you..." He sobbed. Kevin kneeled over Connor, cradling his broken body.

"Connor Mckinley, I love you too..." He cried out.

"All the helldreams, all the pain... I'm sorry...." Connor whispered.

"Hey no, shh, you're gonna be fine, we'll get a doctor, and you'll be fine!" Kevin said, determinedly lifting Connor up.

His own words came back to him.

'Let him think he's winning.'

"You're right," Connor wheezed. "Let's go..."

Kevin nodded, determinedly and picked Connor up gently, walking in the direction of the doctor's hut.

"You'll be fine, you'll be fine..." Kevin whispered.

Connor cupped Kevin's cheek with one hand. "Yeah, I will." He said softly. "Of course, I'll be... Fine..." He could feel his consciousness slipping, there was no way they would make it.

Bang, gunshot.

Kevin shouted and then started limping determinedly, ignoring the new bullet wound in his leg. He had to save Connor.

Bang, again.

Now Kevin's other leg exploded with pain. But he kept walking, determined to get there.

Connor was crying, feeling Kevin's body heave and struggle to keep walking. They would never make it-

One final gunshot sounded and the ringing echoed in Connor's ears as he fell.

Kevin collapsed finally. The last gunshot knocking his spine and lodging itself in his chest. He gasped for breath and dragged himself closer to Connor, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close.

"Connor..." He said in a choked voice, pain ripping his chest in half with every breath. Tears streamed down his face.

Connor looked at Kevin and and cried too.

"I'm sorry... I don't know why this is real..." He said, intertwining his fingers with Kevin's.

"I'm sorry too, if I'd got to you sooner..." Kevin was cut off as he coughed.

"Shh," Connor managed, cupping Kevin's cheek weakly with his other hand.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Me too... I love you." Kevin whispered back and gently pressed a kiss to Connor's lips.

Connor relished the moment and gripped Kevin's hand tightly.

"I don't think I'm going to make it much further..." Connor mumbled weakly, beginning to lose control over his body and feeling suspended in air.

"Me neither..." Kevin whimpered. He had bled out fast through the wounds to his legs.

"I'm sorry..." He sang quietly. "We reached our ends..."

Connor joined in. "And though we should have seen it coming..."

"Who knows what's around every corner..."

"I'm sorry... It shouldn't have to end this way..."

"But as long as I'm with you..."

"It will all be okay.."

"I love you..."

"I love you.."

They both sang together softly.

"And everything will be..."

Silence.